Sources said the U.S. may have made some progress clearing sea mines in international waters, but Iran estimates 80-150 mines it deployed remain uncleared.

US July PCE largely met expectations but skewed hawkish: headline inflation remains well above the Fed’s 2% target and core PCE held at 3.3%, signalling persistent underlying inflation and making the print modestly hawkish. The gap between core CPI (2.5%) and core PCE (3.3%) reflects differences in weights and methodology — a stronger July CPI does not imply inflation is near the 2% goal. Markets will now focus on Fed official Walsh’s remarks for guidance on the likely policy path, notably whether he views 3.3% core PCE as still too high.

On Aug. 26, 2026 China foreign minister Wang Yi met Mirziyoyeva in Beijing. Wang said China will continue to support Uzbekistan’s sovereignty and development path, back President Mirziyoyev’s New Uzbekistan reform agenda, and expects Uzbekistan to maintain support on China’s core interest issues. He said Beijing will strengthen high‑level exchanges, accelerate construction of flagship projects including the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and investment, energy and minerals, local and cultural ties, and emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and renewables, while deepening multilateral coordination.